Autonomic control of calibration for pointing device
View Patent ↗A computer system includes a computer, a calibration module, an event detection module, and an application interface module. The computer executes one or more applications and receives pointing device events generated by a pointing device connected to the computer. The calibration module modifies a rate of movement of a cursor displayed by the computer in response to the pointing device events. The event detection module detects a less-than-optimal calibration indicator from the pointing device events and modifies the rate of movement of the cursor. The application interface module communicates with the application being performed on the computer. A storage module for storing calibration information may also be included.
1. A method for calibrating a rate of movement of a cursor displayed by a computer in response to a pointing device connected to the computer comprising the steps of:
requesting a user to operate the pointing device to indicate a natural range of motion of the user while operating the pointing device;
receiving pointing device events from the pointing device while the user is operating pointing device;
defining the natural range of motion of the user from the pointing device events;
calculating a dimension from the defined natural range of motion;
defining the rate of movement of the cursor using the dimension;
receiving additional pointing device events from the pointing device;
detecting a less-than-optimal calibration indicator for the additional pointing device events; and
autonomously modifying the rate of movement of the cursor based upon the detected indicator.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the indicator is defined by the cursor moving beyond a boundary of a display area of the computer; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to decrease the rate of movement.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the indicator is defined by a plurality of successive long strokes in substantially the same direction; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to increase the rate of movement.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the indicator is defined by a stroke greater than a dimension describing a normal range of motion for a user of the pointing device; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to increase the rate of movement.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the autonomously modifying occurs after a defined number of similar indicators have been detected.
6. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for calibrating a rate of movement of a cursor displayed by a computer in response to a pointing device connected to the computer, the computer usable program code, which when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform:
requesting a user to operate the pointing device to indicate a natural range of motion of the user while operating the pointing device;
receiving pointing device events from the pointing device while the user is operating pointing device;
defining the natural range of motion of the user from the pointing device events;
calculating a dimension from the defined natural range of motion;
defining the rate of movement of the cursor using the dimension;
receiving additional pointing device events from the pointing device;
detecting a less-than-optimal calibration indicator for the additional pointing device events; and
autonomously modifying the rate of movement of the cursor based upon the detected indicator.
7. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein
the indicator is defined by the cursor moving beyond a boundary of a display area of the computer; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to decrease the rate of movement.
8. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein
the indicator is defined by a plurality of successive long strokes in substantially the same direction; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to increase the rate of movement.
9. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein
the indicator is defined by a stroke greater than a dimension describing a normal range of motion for a user of the pointing device; and
the modification of the rate of movement of the cursor is to increase the rate of movement.
10. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein
the autonomously modifying occurs after a defined number of similar indicators have been detected.